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CISA Practice Question: Uses role-based access control (RBAC) for its…
An organization uses role-based access control (RBAC) for its enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. What is the greatest risk if user role assignments are not reviewed regularly?
⚠ Common exam trap
Many candidates confuse the operational impact of role reviews (privilege creep) with other access control issues like password policies or logging, which are separate concerns in the Protection of Information Assets domain.
Answer choices
Why each option matters
Answer the question above first, then reveal the full breakdown to understand why each option is right or wrong.
Correct answer & explanation
✓
Privilege creep, where users retain permissions no longer needed.
In RBAC, permissions are assigned to roles, and users inherit those permissions through role membership. Without regular reviews, users may retain roles (and thus permissions) long after their job functions change, leading to privilege creep. This violates the principle of least privilege and increases the risk of unauthorized access or data breaches within the ERP system.
Answer analysis
Option-by-option breakdown
For each option: why learners choose it and why it is or isn't the right answer here.
- ✗
Inconsistent application of password policies across roles.
Why it's wrong here
Password policy consistency is governed by directory or authentication settings, not by role membership, so stale role assignments do not affect it. The genuine risk is accumulated privilege from users retaining roles after transfers. Password policy review is tempting because access reviews and password audits are both periodic security controls.
- ✓
Privilege creep, where users retain permissions no longer needed.
Why this is correct
Without periodic review, permissions accumulate as users change roles, so RBAC assignments no longer reflect least privilege. This privilege creep grants excessive access rights, increasing the risk that a user can perform unauthorised transactions or misuse segregation-of-duties conflicts within the ERP system.
- ✗
Increased authentication failures due to expired passwords.
Why it's wrong here
Authentication failures stem from credential and lockout settings, not from role assignment drift, so unreviewed roles cannot cause them. The actual exposure is users keeping entitlements after changing duties. It is tempting because expired passwords and stale accounts are both flagged in periodic access reviews.
- ✗
Inability to track audit logs for user activity.
Why it's wrong here
Audit logging is configured independently of role membership, so unreviewed role assignments do not disable activity tracking. The real risk is privilege accumulation from users retaining roles after role changes. It is tempting because access reviews and log reviews are both recurring audit activities.
Quick reference
Access Control Model Comparison
| Model | Acronym | Who Controls Access? | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Discretionary Access Control | DAC | Resource owner | Small teams, file shares |
| Mandatory Access Control | MAC | System / security labels | Classified govt / military |
| Role-Based Access Control | RBAC | Administrator (via roles) | Enterprise environments |
| Attribute-Based Access Control | ABAC | Policy engine (user + resource attributes) | Fine-grained, dynamic policies |
| Rule-Based Access Control | RuBAC | System rules / ACLs | Firewall rules, network ACLs |
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JA
Written by Johnson Ajibi, MSc IT Security
Senior Network & Security Engineer · founder of Courseiva
This CISA practice question is part of Courseiva's free ISACA certification practice question bank. Courseiva provides original exam-style practice questions with explanations, topic-based practice, mock exams, readiness tracking, and study analytics to help learners prepare for the CISA exam.